1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to roofs and, more particularly, to a novel and highly effective roof that combines important advantages of flat roofs and pitched roofs and has features that make it especially desirable in situations where construction costs must be kept to a minimum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Roofs can be flat or pitched. Each type has advantages and disadvantages.
If other factors are equal, a flat roof is easier and less expensive to construct than a pitched roof. At the highest level of the supporting walls, a minimum of material and labor is required to construct a flat roof covering the space enclosed by the walls and protecting it against weather.
On the other hand, flat roofs do not shed rain very well. Rainwater accumulates in small pockets or indentations in a flat roof that are inevitable even in expensive structures and often quite noticeable in low-cost structures. Overlapping of tiles, shingles or rolls of roofing material in a flat roof provides inadequate protection against rain. This places a heavy burden on the waterproofing material employed.
A pitched roof sheds rain efficiently. Rainwater flows by gravity from a higher elevation, often but not necessarily near a midline of the roof, to a lower elevation at the roof's edge and falls from the roof's edge into a gutter or onto the ground.
On the other hand, a pitched roof requires for its support the construction atop the walls of one or more gables or similar structures, which are unnecessary in the case of a flat roof. Moreover, a pitched roof must have an area larger than the area of the space it covers; the steeper the pitch the greater the disparity between the roof area and the covered area. A pitched roof is also more dangerous to construct and repair than a flat roof because of the greater risk that a worker will slip and fall to the ground.
There is a need for a roof combining the advantages of flat and pitched roofs and avoiding their disadvantages, especially in situations where costs must be kept to a minimum.